Benavente: DOL hands out $71M worth of PUA, FPUC checks

Benavente

The Department of Labor has so far already distributed $71,244,451.79 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation to those who are eligible in the CNMI, according to Labor Secretary Vicky Benavente

Out of 11,844 people who have applied for PUA/FPUC assistance, a total of 9,016 applicants who have had no errors on their applications for weekly benefits have already gotten their checks, she said.

DOL received a total of 9,800 online applications and 2,044 paper applications, for a total of 11,844 applications.

With many still complaining about not getting any PUA/FPUC assistance several months after being furloughed, many people are collectively asking “what is taking DOL so long?” to issue the checks. Benavente blamed an initial lack of manpower at the department. According to a source within DOL, there were only 13 of them in the beginning, and now there are 70 staff, with 45 working on PUA applications.

Benavente said that only six adjudicators are in charge of approving applications. They go through all the applications that the reviewers have carefully evaluated and have confirmed that all the information is correct, that a status of an individual has been verified whether they are U.S. citizen or non-U.S. citizen, etc.

Benavente says that there are still many applicants who have incorrect information on the applications, so they are contacting them and correcting the information such as bank accounts, routing numbers, addresses, etc. Benavente encourage those who have called DOL to keep calling and keep trying, because DOL staff are also trying to respond and assist by telephone or in person at the PUA headquarters.

Benavente added that they will continue to disburse the money to the applicants as soon as they can confirm their information on the application is correct and all the issues have been resolved, such as missing documents, paycheck stubs, letters of certification from employers, etc.

She stressed that it’s a “two-way street” and that she can’t help people unless they help her and the DOL staff figure out what’s the issues with their application.

DOL went on the offensive after Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-Saipan) compared the CNMI situation to that of Guam in a Facebook post and slammed the CNMI DOL for the “slow pace” of issuing the unemployment checks. DOL pointed out in a statement that comparing the CNMI to Guam is incorrect because the CNMI received the federal funds on June 10, two weeks after Guam’s DOL did.

“It is appalling to see our delegate to the U.S. Congress compare PUA claims [in] Guam to here in the CNMI, as Guam received their PUA funding and guidance first, while the CNMI had to wait for additional guidance before starting its program,” said the DOL statement.

DOL stated that they have been working tirelessly to implement the PUA/FPUC program, while Sablan “has not done his duty to work with his colleagues in Congress to ensure eligibility for CNMI-Only Transitional Workers” and “has provided false hope and chooses to point fingers at hardworking government employees within CNMI DOL.”’ DOL added that Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Benavente both advocated for the CW workers’ eligibility for PUA.

“CNMI DOL understands the importance and need for getting assistance to our workers. We recognize our role and the work that it is mandated to do. The CNMI Department of Labor remains committed to serving this community,” said DOL.